ALL-ASIAN CAST ANNOUNCED FOR FIREBONE THEATRE’S WORLD PREMIERE OF AIDS PLAY RED FLAMBOYANT

ALL-ASIAN CAST ANNOUNCED FOR FIREBONE THEATRE’S WORLD PREMIERE OF AIDS PLAY RED FLAMBOYANT

April 2, 2015: New York, NY — FIREBONE THEATRE is pleased to announce the casting for the world premiere production of Don Nguyen’s RED FLAMBOYANT, directed by Laura Savia. RED FLAMBOYANT, winner of the Aurora GAP prize, finalist for the Woodward International Playwriting Prize, participant in the O’Neill National Playwrights Conference, participant in the Bay Area Playwrights Festival, and Nominated for the L. Arnold Weissberger Award,will play a limited engagement at Anderson Hall at Calvary St. George’s (61 Gramercy Park North, New York, NY 10010). Performances begin Friday, April24 and continue through Saturday, May16. Opening Night is Saturday, April25 (8 p.m.).

Based on the true story of Mrs. Pham Thi Hue, who runs the RED FLAMBOYANT Group (which is supported by the US organization Vietnam Relief Service Organization), a small group of women who are all living with HIV/AIDS, in present day Vietnam. Bricks smash the windows of their small house. The locals fear they will be infected by the women. Mrs. Hue is forced to seek help from a stubborn government official to protect her group.

This unique theatrical work tells its story with single bungee technology (aerial), puppetry, and straightforward acting in the round, unlikely heroes emerge both in this world and the next as these poor women reach new heights of courage.

Nguyen artfully weaves into RED FLAMBOYANT arguably the most badass warriors from the first century A.D., The Trung Sisters. These two legendary heroines of Vietnam fought to liberate the country from centuries of Chinese rule. These warriors serve to empower the current day women in their fight against ignorance.

The production stars Don Castro* (Turning The Glass Around; Teatro Círculo) as Diem, Criena House (Nat’l Tour The Faraways) as Nga/Triung Ni, Karen Huie* (Songs of Harmony; East West Players) as Mrs. Sau, Ruibo Qian as Vung/Trung Trac, and Nancy Sun as Mrs. Hue.

The production features scenic design by Anne Beyersdorfer (Out of the Basement; ATA), costume design by Stephanie Levin, lighting design by Alan Edwards, aerial choreography by Karen Furhman, Grounded Aerial, and fight choreography by Lisa Kopitsky. Josh Leibert (The Other Josh Cohen) is the sound designer, Jeanette Yew is the puppet designer, Kim Vockel is the mask designer, Alex Foley is the props master, and Arybells Figueredo (The Memory Show) is the Production Stage Manager.

RED FLAMBOYANT plays the following regular schedule through Saturday, May16:

Thursdays at 8 p.m.

Fridays at 8 p.m.

Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Tickets are $18 and are now available online at www.BrownPaperTickets.com. Tickets may also be purchased in-person at the theater a ½ hour prior to performance.

The Olmstead Salon is hosting the show, new partnership with Firebone Theatre in residency at Calvary St. George in Gramercy Park.

10% of ticket sales going to Vietnam Relief Organization to women with HIV/AIDS in Vietnam. This production is also supported by Amazin Lethi and the Amazin Lethi Foundation, HIV/AIDS Advocacy.

Biographies:

DON NGUYEN (Playwright) Full length plays include: Red Flamboyant (2015 GAP Prize Winner, Ojai Playwrights Conference, finalist – O’Neill NPC), Sound (BAPF 2014, Playwrights Realm Fellowship, Civilians R&D), The Man From Saigon (NYSAF, Naked Angels), and The Supreme Leader. Don’s work has been developed or produced at The Public Theater, The Flea, Ojai Playwrights Conference, New York Stage & Film, Naked Angels, Naked Radio, The Civilians, Ma-Yi Theatre, The Playwrights Realm, The Bay Area Playwrights Festival, Joe’s Pub, The 52nd Street Project, SPACE on Ryder Farm, and Tofte Lake. Don is the recipient of the 2015 GAP Prize from the Aurora Theatre and New York Stage & Film Founder’s award and has been a finalist for The O’Neill National Playwrights Conference, The Princess Grace Award, Woodward International Playwriting Prize, and New Dramatists. Nominations include: the Laurents/Hatcher award and the L. Arnold Weissberger Award. Don is a proud member of the Ma-Yi Writers Lab, the Public Theater’s inaugural Emerging Writers Group, The Civilians inaugural R&D Group, the 52nd Street Project, and a co-founder ofMission to (dit)Mars, a Queens based theatre arts collective. For more information, please visit:thenuge.com

LAURA SAVIA (Director) production of The Recommendation in Los Angeles recently garnered two Ovation Awards, including Best Production. New York directing credits include The Mnemonist of Dutchess County (Theatre Row), Letters to Santa (Naked Angels), House Strictly Private (1st Irish Festival), The Color of Justice (Theatreworks USA), and The Lover (The Drama League), The Last Days of Judas Iscariot (Lee Strasberg Institute) The Glass Menagerie (University of Rochester) as well as numerous short plays for Labyrinth Theater Co., Ars Nova, Partial Comfort, At Play, and the 24 Hour Plays. She has developed work with The Public Theater, Roundabout Theatre Company, Atlantic Theater Company, Second Stage, Playwrights Realm and Ma-Yi Theater Company, among others. Assistant directing includes Broadway’s The Merchant of Venice starring Al Pacino. Four season as Workshop Artistic Producer at Williamstown Theatre Festival; five seasons at Atlantic Theater Co. Director of The Living Newspaper, which has performed at Joe’s Pub, Le Poisson Rouge, and the A.R.T.’s Club Oberon. Laura teaches at NYU/The Lee Strasberg Institute and Fordham University. 2009 Drama League Directing Fellow. Alumna of Northwestern University. Upcoming: Bareknuckle for Vertigo Theatre Co. and Red Light Winter at Itself Festival in Warsaw, Poland. www.laurasavia.comFIREBONE THEATRE is committed to producing plays and musicals that explore the relationship between divine immortality (fire) and human mortality (bone). Tagline: where human meets divine.